Wider Curriculum

A broad, balanced education

Our Wider Curriculum

Alongside English, Maths, Science, RE and Computing, our wider curriculum offers children a rich and varied education across the foundation subjects. We believe that every subject matters, and that a child's understanding of the world is built on encountering many different ways of thinking and creating.

The subjects we teach

  • History — We help children build a coherent picture of the past, from local history walks around Foots Cray and Sidcup to the great civilisations of Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, the Stone Age to the Iron Age, the Vikings, the Tudors and modern Britain. Children develop the skills of a historian — asking questions, using evidence, and thinking critically about sources.

  • Geography — Children explore their local area, the United Kingdom, Europe and the wider world. They learn about physical and human geography, climate, settlements and how people interact with the environment, building map-reading and fieldwork skills as they progress through the school.

  • Art & Design — Pupils explore drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, sculpture and digital media, studying the work of artists, designers and craftspeople from a range of cultures and traditions. Sketchbooks travel with children through their journey at St Peter Chanel, recording their growth as artists.

  • Design & Technology — Children design, make and evaluate purposeful products, working with food, textiles, mechanisms, electrical systems and a range of construction materials. They learn that good design solves real problems for real people.

  • Music — Singing is woven into daily school life — from morning prayer to our Catholic liturgies. Children learn to listen critically, compose, perform and read musical notation. Year groups perform regularly in school masses, assemblies and our Christmas and end-of-year productions.

  • Modern Foreign Languages — Children in Key Stage 2 begin learning a modern foreign language, building vocabulary, conversational confidence and curiosity about the cultures of the wider world.

  • PSHE & Relationships Education — Our PSHE curriculum supports children's personal, social and emotional development, woven through with Catholic values. See our RSHE page for the statutory content.

Enrichment

Every subject is brought to life with educational visits, visitors into school, themed weeks and whole-school events. Our pupils benefit from trips, residentials, workshops, and external visitors throughout the year — see our News & Events page for the latest highlights.